Seal for gems



A. BULOVA SEAL FOR GEMS March 28, 1933.

- Filed May 17, 1932 A TTORNEY Patented Mar. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT arm:

ARDE BULOVA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., essionon To BULOVA wArcE'coMr NY, INC., on

NE? YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SEAL Fort GEMS Application filed May 17,

This invention relates to jewelry, and particularly to a method and means for preventing substitution of stones, and for giving the purchaser reliable information about the gem. I

The purchaser of a ring or other article of jewelry set with a precious stone is ordinarily not a competent judge of the weight, quality and value of the stone, and is forced to rely on the retail dealers statements concerning these matters.

An object of the invention is to provide a device which is sealed about a stone mounted in a setting, and which permits the stone to be inspected. The device is preferably a frangible hollow ball or other shape of clear glass enclosing the stone and its setting and fused to the latter, though the invention is not necessarily limited to the material of which the transparent ball is madeor to the precise manner in which it is affixed to the setting to prevent removal of the enclosure without breaking or damaging the ball.

Another object is to provide indications on or in the transparent enclosure denoting such matter as the size, quality, selling price, and/or the name or mark of the house whose reputation is back of these representations.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof: i

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a solitaire finger ring with a transparent enclosure sealed over the stone and setting of the ring; and

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the ring shown in Fig. 1, with the enclosure in section.

A ring 10 has a diamond 12, or other precious stone, mounted in a setting 14:.

A hollow transparent sphere 15, made of glass or other suitable material, has an opening 16, which is large enough initially to receive the diamond 12 and the setting 14-.

Legends are placed on or in the ball indicating the size of the stone, the retail selling price, the name or device of the house of origin, or any other information which it is desirable to convey to the purchaser in order to protect him. The legendsmay be printed 1932. Serial No. 611,762.

on apiece of paper 18, enclosed in the or may be etched in or otherwise directly applied to the glass:

After thediamondand setting are inserted .into the ball through the opening 16, the".

edges 20 ofthe opening are sealed around the setting and its irregularities. This pre ferred mode ofsealing the ball to the ring setting will serve as sufficient illustration of the invention. Any other. suitable method may be employed. l j

The ball or enclosure is shown in the form of a sphere, but it may, of course, be of any shape.

When a customer examines a ring having a stone sealed in accordance with this-invention, hei'knows the guaranteed weight and" price, and any other information marked on the label. Whenthe "ring is purchased, the gem enclosure can be easily removed by breaking the glass. 1 1 c Changes and 'modifications maybe made without departing from the spirit of the in-JI vention as set forth in the appended claims.

Iclaim: g I 1. A jewelrysales unit comprising an larticle of j ewelry' having a gem setting ;a stone mounted in the setting; and a hollow transparent cover over the stoneand sealed to the setting. V 4 2 In combination,'a hollow transparent enclosure having an opening through one side; an article of jewelry; a setting on the article of jewelry; a stone mounted in the setting, said stone and a' part of the setting extending through the opening and into the hollow enclosure, and the edges of the opening being: sealed around the setting.

3. Incombination with a finger ring, a hollow transparent glass enclosure having an opening through one side; a setting of irregular contour, a gem mounted in the setting {the setting'extending through the opening inthe enclosure so that the gem is enclosed, the edges tact with the irregular surface of the setting so that the enclosure can not be removed from the ring without breaking the enclosure.

4. The method of making a finger ring sales unit, which method consists in mounting a gem in a setting on the ring, inserting the gem in a portion of the setting through an opening in the side of a hollow transparent glass enclosure, and melting the edges of the enclosure opening so that said edges flow into irregularities in the surface of the setting and harden to prevent removal of the enclosure from the ring.

5. The method of sealing a stone against substitution: in an article of jewelry having the stone mounted in a setting of irregular contour, which method consists in placing a transparent cover over the stone and a part of the'setting, melting the cover adjacent the setting, and causing the-melted material to flow into the irregularities of the setting so that after said material hardens the cover can not be removed from the setting without breaking the cover.

i6. A finger ring sales unit comprising a ring; a setting on the ring; a gem mounted in the setting; a hollow transparent enclosure over the gem and a part of the setting and sealed on the setting and legends on the enclosure for conveying information concerning the gem.

7. A finger ring sales unit comprising a ring; a setting on the ring; a gem mounted in' the setting; a hollow transparent enclosure over the gem-and a part of the setting and sealed'on the setting; a label on; the inside of the enclosure and visible through the side of the, enclosure; and legends on face of the label.

8. A finger ring sales unit comprising a ring; asetting on. the ring, said setting having a recessed surface; a stone mounted in the setting; a hollow glass ball with an open- 7 l ing through one side, the stone and the upper part of the setting being enclosed by the ball, and the edges of the opening through the ball having intimate contact with the recessed surface of the lower part ofthe, settingso that i. the ball can not be removed from the ring without breaking the ball. .7

I 9. A seal for a gem in a ring setting consisting of a hollow transparent enclosure about the gem and fused to the setting.

10. A gem seal comprising a hollow, frangible, transparent enclosure about the gem and fused into intimate contact with the gem setting to prevent removal of the enclosure.

ARDE BULOVA.

the outside: 

